BIRD GUIDING AROUND OSLO

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

An environmentally bad day

I get a bad conscience when I drive too much for the sake of
birds – damaging the environment in the pursuit of enjoying – and that bad
conscience obviously comes more to the fore on those days when the kilometres
don’t result in payback.

Today was one of those days. My reason for the kilometres
was that I am guiding for Hawk Owl on Saturday and wanted to do a bit of a
recee as there has been a sudden decline in the number of birds reported. I had
7 sites lined up which have held birds within the last few weeks and really
thought that I would score with the first two. Instead though I didn’t score at
any of them and neither did I find Hawkie anywhere else despite the passing a
lot of good looking habitat. I think that the reason for this sudden mass
disappearance is that the winters first proper snow which arrived very
belatedly at the weekend has transformed the countryside and caused the owls to
look for new hunting grounds (although with the onset of spring birds are also
thinking about finding breeding sites). I still have some other sites to check
but don’t feel the Bird Gods are looking kindly on me.

My large number of kilometres didn’t give much other payback
although a surprise White-tailed Eagle low over the road was good. It was
hunting along an open river in farmland and presumably hoped to have duck on
the menu. I also had my first Common Crossbills (grankorsnebb) of the year. At this time last year you couldn't fail to find the species with vast numbers breeding as a result of a vast and new cone crop. This year though this nomadic species has moved elsewhere in its continuos search for the perfect cone.

The day finished with some nice photos in sunlight! of Pintail
and Grey Heron and helped me forget the previous 5 hours.

1st winter / 2cy Pintail (stjertand). This is the same bird that I found at Bogstadvannet on 18 November and after the lake froze it has located along with 100 Mallards to the river that drains out of the lake

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About Me

My name is Simon Rix and I am an English birder who has lived in Oslo since 2001. I am a member of the Norwegian Rarities Committee (NSKF) and bird guide.
This blog will primarily record my birding around Oslo.